Portage la Prairie potato plant doubling in size

Food processing giant Simplot is doubling the size of its operation in Portage la Prairie.

The $460 million dollar project will see the potato plant expand from 180,000 to 460,000 square feet.

The province says this is expected to create 87 jobs and double the need for potatoes from local growers.

The Pallister Government is giving some financial assistance, a tax break, up to $6.31 million and up to $522,000 for employee training.

Manitoba Hydro is also providing $1 million in PowerSmart funding for electrical and natural gas efficiency projects based on the plant meeting certain guidelines.Food processing giant Simplot is making a major investment in Manitoba.

Wednesday the company announced it's doubling the size of its operation in Portage la Prairie. The $460 million project will see the companies Manitoba operations expand from 180,000 to 460,000 square feet.

The Pallister government is giving some financial assistance for the project. Simplot will get a tax break of up to $6 million. It will also spend up to half a million dollars for employee training.

The expansion is expected to more than double the companies need for potatoes from local growers and create 87 new full time jobs.

"When we make these investments," said Simplot president Bill Whitacre, "We do it over generations."

"This isn't about a few years. This is literally a multi-generational commitment."

In a statement to CTV News, Keystone Agricultural Producers says, "Potatoes are a very high value crop that typically generates ten times the total revenue per acre of other crops Manitoba farmers grow. We could see an increase of more than $24 million in farm cash receipts for every 10 per cent increase in potato acres in the province."

R.M of Portage Reeve Kameron Blight says others will reap the benefits as well. "It's the input suppliers, the equipment dealers, the transportation companies that will be benefiting from this."